It was a good week in special education departments statewide as they received a pat on the back from the South Dakota Department of Education for hitting federal and state targets for services for students with special needs.

"We're very pleased with all of our districts," Ann Larsen, South Dakota Special Education Director, said during a phone interview.

The state is one of 17 to earn the highest ratings possible under Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, commonly referred to as IDEA. The U.S. Department of Education released the information to states last week. IDEA Part B monitors the effectiveness of special education services at the preschool and K-12 levels, while Part C refers to the state's Birth to Three program, which serves younger children.

The data studied was from fiscal year 2007.

Under Part B, South Dakota has met or exceeded standards in 13 of the 16 public reporting areas required by the U.S. Department of Education. In two of the areas, South Dakota has higher targets than those outlined by No Child Left Behind for students with disabilities. South Dakota students with disabilities have met those higher percentages for both graduation and statewide assessment participation rates.